“He suggests that instructors show an image on the screen and ask two questions about it: “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” Before class starts, let the image direct the informal conversations, Newbury argues, and then use it to guide a brief discussion during the opening minutes of class.”

Icebreaker? perhaps, but for creative types like me this kind of thinking allows me to open my mind in a way that words do not. As children we typically approach the world with a sense of wonder that is somehow lost along the way as we become “educated”. Wonder is not merely awe, but to ask What do you wonder? is a deceptively simple challenge which allows us to stop, take note and express an interest in some aspect of what we are seeing in front of us. In many elementary classrooms, wonder is the spark which introduces active inquiry-based student-driven learning. The kind of learning that engages, lasts, is great fun, and teaches children that not all theories pan out. Kind of a precursor to research in a way…

Archives

Each “thought” will provide a series of resources available at Laurier for you to look at based on historical, social, environmental, and political events happening in the world today. It’s a way to keep current and broaden your perspective on what’s what.